There’s certain things in football that I love. An amazing piece of skill that leaves you open mouthed, a keeper pulling off a save that you thought was destined for the net, a crunching tackle with both players 100% committed. But above all of this, there is something even greater, when a football pundit makes a statement that comes back and bites them well and truly on the backside.
Now this could be any pundit of course, but right now step forward Paul Merson and Phil Thompson. These are two well-known pundits who decided that Hull City had made a massive mistake hiring manager Marco Silva.
Now Merson and Thompson felt that Silva had almost no right to become manager of the Premier League club. The classic line was “he doesn’t know the Premier League, doesn’t know Hull City” because he is foreign. Brilliant!
Merson even felt that he could win the Greek league with Olympiakos, a feat Silva achieved. I am sure at this point Walsall fans sat in stone wall silence remembering the glory days of Magic Merson managing their club. Hold on, did you not get sacked Paul?
What we want now is for Silva’s Hull to stay up and for both Merson and Thompson to be served up a large slice of humble pie live on Soccer Saturday.
When Silva arrived at Hull the club were bottom of the table and had not won a game in their last ten matches. Now the club is 3rd from bottom and only a point away from safety. They are still not out of trouble of course, but they are playing some good football. Their latest game, a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, could be considered unlucky with a potential hand scoring Arsenal’s first although as Twitter stated many times, it’s not hand ball if you are wearing gloves. There were comical moment at half time, when Sky actually asked Thierry Henry for his views on the handball. Henry shifted uncomfortably in his seat as several million Irish fans started foaming at the mouth wondering what he would come out with. Luckily for Thierry his answer can only be described as sitting on one’s fence. Wise choice indeed Thierry.
But I digress, Hull clearly look good enough to survive, they have started playing good attacking football. Against Arsenal they looked to get the ball out wide on so many occasions, exploiting the space that the full backs had left. If only Hull could have finished better, then the game would have been uncomfortable for the Gunners. Now that would have been interesting to see Wenger’s face in the stands with a third straight defeat. I actually think Arsenal Fan TV would have imploded.
For Hull City fans and manager Marco Silva they can feel confident that the Tigers have enough about them to stay in the Premier League.
Could you imagine Soccer Saturday as Hull survive and the camera zooms in on Merson and Thompson? No words would be needed, just the look on their faces would be enough. Punditry gold people, right there. That would be almost worth paying your Sky fee for. Well, ok maybe not, but almost.